If tackle doesn’t accept pay cut, a lukewarm free-agent market awaits

Doug Free can remain with the Cowboys. It all depends
on how much he wants.

Or how little.

This is the decision the Cowboys have dumped in Free’s lap. The veteran can
take a pay cut to stay and compete for the starting right tackle job, or he can
decline and risk being thrown into an uncertain free-agent market.

Both parties are on the clock. A source said it’s possible a decision could
be reached by the end of the week. There is a strong indication that Free’s
status will be resolved before the draft gets underway on April 25.

“We may be doing things with our offensive line before the draft, relative to
Free,” owner Jerry Jones said recently.

This is not what the Cowboys envisioned when they signed Free to a four-year,
$32 million contract less than two years ago. He was regarded as a cornerstone
of an offensive line in transition. The club paid him as a left tackle, even
though the plan was to move him to the right side as soon as Tyron Smith was
comfortable.

A base salary of $7 million makes Free the highest-paid right tackle in the
league for 2013. The Cowboys’ desire to reduce that figure is a response to how
poorly Free has performed and reflects the reality of the current market.

Cincinnati’s Andre Smith, Kansas City’s Eric Winston and Atlanta’s Tyson
Clabo are all available. The Cowboys have not entered into negotiations with any
of the three and have no plans to do so at the moment. But the club has been in
contact with Winston and knows the right tackle would be willing to accept a
deal that pays in the range of $3 million to $4 million.

Again, the Cowboys aren’t looking to replace Free with Winston. The club
isn’t asking Free to take less so it has room for Winston to come in and compete
with him. Why would Free agree to that scenario?

But the Cowboys are making it clear that there are less expensive options on
the market. They are trying to leverage Free.

Free gave up seven sacks and was hit with 13 penalties last season. His
grades in the run game were extremely poor, and he finished the season splitting
snaps with Jermey Parnell.

If Free accepts a pay cut, he must still compete with Parnell. He could also
be forced to fend off a challenge from a high draft pick if the team decides to
go that route.

But remember, as much as the Cowboys like Parnell, he’s unproven. Free still
got two snaps to every one Parnell took when the two began to alternate in the
final weeks.

Free has also had some success at left tackle if an injury were to take Smith
out for an extended period.

“That might make a difference as we look at any options that we have there,
too,’’ Jones said. “Probably feet-wise, if you looked across the line, his skill
is left tackle as far as a lot of his value is concerned.’’

That’s all in play if Free stays. If he decides to decline a pay cut, the
Cowboys want Free to know he could find himself in a position where he would
likely make less money than they are willing to pay and receive no guarantee
that he’ll be able to compete for a starting job.

Is a player coming off two poor seasons willing to throw himself into a
stagnant free-agent market?

This is what will play out behind the scenes in the coming days. Accept a pay
cut and the Cowboys will re-work Free’s contract to receive immediate cap
relief.

Refuse, and the team will designate him as a post June 1 cut, meaning no room
will be cleared by the move for another two months.

A player thought to be a cornerstone less than two years ago has developed
some serious cracks.

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